A Tree-mendous 19th Annual Tree Planting

On March 2nd, 184 volunteers gathered at New Chicago Park for the Wolf River Conservancy’s 19th Annual Tree Planting event. In under 90 minutes, 1,000 potted trees were planted firmly in the ground within the floodplain of Leath Bayou, an urban tributary of the Wolf River. To further illustrate how impressive the day was, 11 trees were planted every minute! Efficiency was not the only aspect that impressed. The outpouring of support via volunteers, community members, and local businesses is simply remarkable. Volunteers came from all over the Mid-South, but the support from the New Chicago community was the most impactful. Neighbors to the park welcomed the event, the investment of green infrastructure, and also lent hands to plant the trees.

The Conservancy sincerely thanks International Paper, the event day sponsor, and Brother International, the presenting sponsor for the entire Wolf River Restoration Series. Not only did they provide financial support, but also numerous volunteers. Thanks also go to the Community Redevelopment Agency, who helped connect this event with the New Chicago neighborhood and honored citizen leaders with their own tree-planting dedication adjacent to the park. The West Tennessee chapter of the TN Urban Forestry Council and the Memphis Tree Board were also key partners, leading the tutorials on how to best plant a tree. The Works, Inc. is a vital partner in our tree planting efforts, as year after year, they steward the trees we have potted and assist with day-of logistics.

Last but certainly not least, many heartfelt thanks go to all the hardworking volunteers who showed up on a beautiful Saturday to plant a remarkable 1,000 trees. The weather was so nice, you could have done anything with your Saturday, but you chose to plant trees with us. We are so grateful for you.

If you were wondering, we planted primarily four native species that will help restore this riparian corridor. Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata), Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii), and Nuttall oak (Quercus texana) were planted in the low-lying areas, and White oak (Quercus alba) was planted in the more well-drained locations. The higher concentration of oak species will provide more ecological benefits than if the site was left to reforest by itself. As a new phase of the Wolf River Greenway will be built alongside the trees planted, everyone will have the opportunity to watch the forest grow.

We hope you consider sponsoring a tree this year and join us for our the rest of our restoration series events.

See a few photos from the event below! View our full album on Facebook.